The invention relates to a connector for flat conductor strip cables consisting of two-piece connector housings into which the conductor strips are inserted and in which contacts are established by engagement of the two pieces of the connector housings which include means for being locked in their engaged positions in which the desired contacts are established.
Two types of conductors strips are generally used, strips with round conductors and strips with flat conductors. Both types have their particular field of application: The flat conductor strip cable is generally utilized when easy and frequent bending of the cable in a direction normal to the plane of the flat strip is desired while rigidity or stiffness of bending in a direction normal to the first direction is desirable. Round conductors have the advantage of providing for a simple contacting capability for the conductors by way of cutting contacts which cut into the insulation in which the round conductors are embdded.
The use of such simple cutting contacts is not possible in connection with flat conductor strips; here the insulating layer must be removed at one side such that the flat conductors are exposed and resilient contact members are then placed onto the exposed flat conductors. Usually so-called ZIF plugs (Zero Insertion Force) are required since the flat conductor with the insulation material layer removed has only very little rigidity.
However, such ZIF plugs are relatively complicated, expensive and relatively unreliable devices. They are particularly unreliable because the resistances of that contact structures may be different at the time of establishing the contacts. They may also change substantially and uncontrollably with the age of the contacts. Flat conductor strips have therefore found use only in applications where the specific advantages mentioned earlier were overwhelming.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a connector adapted to make contact with the conductors of flat conductor strips as easily and as well as this is possible with round conductor cables, that is, without the removal of the insulating material at the ends of the flat conductor strips, and in a manner to provide reliable contacts over a long period of time.